$\def\d{\mathrm{~d}}$

1. Computing Green's functions. Obtain the Green's function for the following operators using the delta-function construction:

(a) $ℒy=-y'', 0<x<1, y(0)-y'(1)=0, y(0)+y(1)=0$

(b) $ℒy=y''-y, 0<x<2π, y(0)-y(2π)=0, y'(0)-y'(2π)=0$

In (b), what goes wrong if we change the operator to $ℒy=y''+y$ (for the same boundary conditions)?

2. Green's function for an Initial Value Problem. Reconsider the IVP from Sheet 1 Q3,\[ℒy(x)≡P_2(x)y''(x)+P_1(x)y'(x)+P_0(x)y(x)=f(x)\]for $x>0$, subject to initial conditions $y(0)=y'(0)=0$. Recall that $y_1$ and $y_2$ are linearly independent solutions to the homogeneous problem $ℒy=0$ satisfying $y_1(0)=0$ and $y'_2(0)=0$.
State the ODE and initial conditions satisfied by the Green's function $g(x,ξ)$ in terms of a delta function, solve this problem for $g$, and show that this approach reproduces the expression found by variation of parameters on Sheet 1.

The ODE satisfied by the Green's function is$$P_2(x)g_{xx}(x,ξ)+P_1(x)g_x(x,ξ)+P_0(x)g(x,ξ)=δ(x-ξ)$$For $x≠ξ$, $g$ is a solution of the homogeneous equation. For $0≤x<ξ$ construct $g$ as a general solution of the homogeneous equation $g(x,ξ)=A(ξ)y_1(x)+B(ξ)y_2(x)$. Apply both initial conditions:$$\left.\begin{array}rg(0,ξ)=B(ξ)y_2(0)\\g'(0,ξ)=A(ξ)y_1'(0)\end{array}\right\}⇒A(ξ)=B(ξ)=0⇒g(x,ξ)=0$$For $x>ξ$ construct $g$ as a general solution of the homogeneous equation $g(x,ξ)=C(ξ)y_1(x)+D(ξ)y_2(x)$. Impose continuity$$0=[g(x,ξ)]_{ξ-}^{ξ+}=C(ξ)y_1(ξ)+D(ξ)y_2(ξ)$$Integrate across $x=ξ$$$\frac1{P_2(ξ)}=[g_x(x,ξ)]_{ξ-}^{ξ+}=C(ξ)y_1'(ξ)+D(ξ)y_2'(ξ)$$Solve the above linear system of $C,D$\begin{cases}C(x)=-\frac{y_2(ξ)}{P_2(ξ)W(ξ)}\\D(x)=\frac{y_1(ξ)}{P_2(ξ)W(ξ)}\end{cases}Putting together\[g(x,ξ)=\begin{cases}\frac{-y_2(ξ)y_1(x)+y_1(ξ)y_2(x)}{P_2(ξ)W(ξ)}&0<ξ<x\\0&0<x<ξ\end{cases}\]

3. Eigenfunction expansion.

(a) Find the general solution of the Cauchy–Euler equation\[x^2y''(x)+3xy'(x)+(1+α)y(x)=0\]where α is a given positive constant.

(b) Use (a) to determine the eigenvalues $λ_j$ and eigenfunctions $y_j$ of the self-adjoint problem\[-\left(x^3 y'(x)\right)'=λ xy, y(1)=0, y(\mathrm{e})=0\]

(c) Obtain the eigenfunction expansion for the solution of the inhomogeneous problem \[\left(x^3y'(x)\right)'=x, y(1)=0, y(\mathrm{e})=0\]giving the coefficients explicitly (i.e. compute the integrals).

4. Eigenvalue expansion – two routes.

(a) Consider the following eigenvalue problem on $0≤x≤1$:$$ℒy≡y''+2 y'+y=λy, y'(0)+y(0)=0, y'(1)+y(1)=0$$Compute the eigenvalues $λ_k$, eigenfunctions $y_k$, and the adjoint eigenfunctions $w_k$.

(b) Under what condition on $f$ does a solution exist for the inhomogeneous problem\[ℒy(x)=f(x) \quad(0<x<1), y'(0)+y(0)=0, y'(1)+y(1)=0\]

(c) Assuming that the condition in (b) is satisfied, obtain the coefficients in an eigenfunction $y(x)=\sum_k^∞c_k y_k(x)$.

(d) Convert the problem in (b) to the equivalent Sturm-Liouville problem and show that the eigenfunction expansion of the solution to that problem matches what you found in part (c).

5. Green's function for Sturm-Liouville. Consider the Sturm-Liouville problem$$ℒy≡-\left(p y'\right)'+q y=f, a<x<b$$where $p(x)≠0$ on $a<x<b$, with the boundary conditions\[ℬ_ℓ y≡y(a)=0, ℬ_r y≡y(b)=0\]Let $y_ℓ,y_r$ satisfy $ℒy_ℓ=ℬ_ℓy_ℓ=0,ℒy_r=ℬ_ry_r=0$, and eigenfunctions $y_k$ satisfy $ℒy_k=λ_ky_k,ℬ_ℓ y_k=ℬ_r y_k=0$.

(a) Use variation of parameters to derive the following expression for the Green's function:\[\tag{*}g(x, ξ)=\begin{cases}\frac{-y_ℓ(x) y_r(ξ)}{W(ξ)p(ξ)}&a<x<ξ<b\\\frac{-y_ℓ(ξ) y_r(x)}{W(ξ)p(ξ)}&a<ξ<x<b\end{cases}\]where $W=y_ℓ y'_r-y_ℓ'y_r$ is the Wronskian.

(b) Re-derive equation (*) by constructing the Green's function satisfying $ℒ_x g(x, ξ)=δ(x-ξ)$.

(c) Write down the eigenfunction expansion of the solution to $ℒy=f$, and hence obtain an alternative expression for the Green's function in terms of an eigenfunction expansion $g(x, ξ)=\sum_k c_k(ξ) y_k(x)$.

(d) Show that the two expressions agree by expanding (*) directly in an eigenfunction expansion and showing that the coefficients match, i.e. write $g(x, ξ)=\sum_k d_k(ξ) y_k(x)$ and show that $d_k=c_k$.

6. Legendre's equation and the Fredholm Alternative. Consider bounded solutions of the eigenvalue problem\[\tag{*}ℒy(x)≡\left(1-x^2\right) y''(x)-2 x y'(x)=λy(x), \quad-1<x<1\]

(a) Use the inner product relation to compute $ℒ^*$ and show that the boundary terms vanish identically. Why are no boundary conditions given for (*)?

(b) Convert (*) to Sturm–Liouville form. What orthogonality relation do the eigenfunctions satisfy?

(c) Verify that $y_0(x)=1$ is an eigenfunction for $λ_0=0$. For the inhomogeneous problem $ℒy(x)=f(x)$ to be solvable for $y$, what condition must $f$ satisfy?

(d) Consider the equation $ℒy(x)=-2x$. Explain via the Fredholm Alternative why this problem should have a non-unique solution. Show that\[y=x+A \log \left(\frac{1+x}{1-x}\right)+B\]is a solution for any values of $A$ and $B$. What can you conclude about the constant $A$?

(e) Find the general solution of $ℒy=1$. Does this match your reasoning in (c)?